TRAINING
The first step is to overcome a man’s natural fear of the grenade itself. This is only done by explaining how it is to be used, the method of lighting and the length of time taken for the fuse to burn. A good idea is to have some of the fuses of the length used lighted and the men told to count while the fuse burns out. Dummy grenades with fuses attached can then be introduced and the men taught to light them, observing carefully how long it takes for the fuse to burn down to the grenade.
The second step is to develop accuracy in throwing. Normally, the bomb should be bowled overhand, although it is certainly not wrong to throw, but it has been found in tests that a man throwing bombs has tired a great deal quicker than a man bowling them overhand.
Stick grenades may be thrown over short distances like a dart, although this is unhandy and can only be done by a carefully trained man. Great care must be taken while in the trenches in throwing percussion bombs, as very often a man swinging his arm back to throw such a bomb has exploded it in the trench, with disaster to himself and those near him.
Men should be taught to throw standing, kneeling and prone. It should be impressed upon them from the beginning that if a grenade with a time fuse is dropped in the act of throwing there is ample time to pick it up and throw it out of the trench before it explodes, but this must be done immediately.
A B
A is a diagram of a bombing field where men are trained in practice with dummy bombs. 1 is the target marked on the ground and having the same general plan as a firing target, with Bull, Inner, Magpie, and Outer, the score counting 5, 4, 3, & 2 respectively, or according to the instructor’s taste. 2 is the first line, 20 yards from the center of the inner ring. The men must be trained to a high degree of accuracy at this range. 3 is the second line, 25 yards from the center of target. There are lines every five yards back until the 40 yard line is reached, which latter is the extreme range for bombing practice.
At each range the men should practice standing, kneeling, and prone. At 35 and 40 yards bombing from the kneeling and prone positions is very difficult and the time spent on practice here should not interfere with the obtaining of great accuracy at the shorter ranges.